We get it. African-Americans have every right to exist in every area of society. And we have the right to be respected and treated fairly in every sphere. But the controversy surrounding the comments made by Carnival’s Mystic Krewe of Nxy Captain Julie Lea seems, to us at least, to be a waste of time and resources.
Lea recently came under fire for her “all lives matter” post in the wake of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Yes, she has apologized. But these days, we are in no mood to accept empty apologies. Just ask Drew Brees.
Lea knew full well the underlying, racist message in the statement. We are certain she said it because, like all those who declare that “all lives matter” in response to the #Blacklivesmatter movement, she is a racist who simply does not accept that Black lives have value. Resigning from Nyx will not redeem her.
And calling for her resignation from the Krewe she formed is not a step we encourage, not because we think she is a good leader or even a good person or deserves to be a captain of anything. But we have bigger fish to fry, y’all. Plus there is a much better way to get the message to Lea that her racist attitudes are not acceptable.
Belonging to a Krewe like Nyx or any other happens to be a costly endeavor for members. And because we are always encouraging Black people to use their considerable economic power to not only build and strengthen their own communities, but to send a mighty message to those that disrespect us that we are indeed a force with to be reckoned, we see this as a great opportunity to do just that.
So instead of demanding that Julie Lea resign as the captain of Nyx, let her have it. When she does not have enough members to fill a float next Carnival season, she will understand the consequences of her words, beliefs and actions better than any call for her resignation can show her. When we stop lining the streets for Nyx parades, she will get it. Then she can go sit in a corner somewhere and shrivel away for all we care, taking her racist ideology with her.
With that, we encourage those members, especially Black members, who disagree with the sentiment expressed in her “all lives matter” statement to just quit the group and take your purses with you. Nope, we are not talking about the decorated handbags that are the krewe’s signature throw. We’re talking about your real pocketbooks filled with your checks, debit and credit cards and money spent to belong to Nyx and participate in its activities.
In New Orleans, there are Black female krewes. Join one of them or start another one. The bottom line is that there are other, more inclusive organizations in the city. And there are far more worthy endeavors.
But let’s please stop begging our enemies to respect us, include us, appreciate us. It’s not worth the time or the effort.
No one is going to save us but us.
